I'm sitting here sipping some beer out of one of my new beer glasses as I catch you up with my last several days.

On Thursday, I set Mom's pills for for the week then crush several days worth of those pills that I set (she has trouble swallowing whole pills) and I left for H's house on Friday morning after doing my weekly vacuuming of Mom's rug. Normally, Mom wants me to vacuum her floor on Saturday (before her Sunday morning visit from the lay ministry of the local church). Since I wasn't going to be here on Saturday, I came and did it Friday morning before Fawn and I left.

H told me I made good time getting from my Chicago area secret location to her Louisville area secret location. As I told everyone who asked about my drive, it seemed extra long to me. Plus for some reason, I had no service on my cell phone for most of the drive which added to my annoyance. Especially when I got a text message from H, and I pulled over on the side of the busy highway to reply and my text wouldn't go through.

At the next rest stop I tried again several times to send H a text message with no luck. After my fourth failed attempt to send H a text message, I gave up and headed out onto the road. Just as I was pulling back into traffic from that rest area my cell phone (which after my last text attempt said I had no service) started ringing to my surprise. H successfully called me.

Well, I got to H's and with trepidation tried using my cell phone to call her since she wasn't home. She still had 20 minutes to work. Ok, I took Fawn around to use her back yard, and called Mom now that I knew my cell phone was working at the moment. Then I went back to the front where the shade was, gave Fawn some water, and settled in on a bench in the front of H's house to wait for her.

It's her Dad's birthday. So she, he, and I go out to dinner. After dinner, my car does it's funky ignition lock trouble bit (that I'm sure I mentioned in passing here a time or two before). I had pretty much decided that after this trip I'd look into replacing that lock no matter if I can afford it or not.

Well, while I was fighting to get the car started with a mixture of frustration and embarrassment, H suggested that it might be my key rather than the lock itself.

Up to this point, I had thought it was the other way around -- the lock was messed up and that in turn messed up the key. So I made a mental note to look for Mom's copy of the key when I got back before looking into replacing the lock.

The next day, a couple of H's friends wanted to go to a local museum to see two specific presentations. One showing how a 15th century knight would put on plate armor, and then a Hand and Half Sword fight in period armor a bit later.

Well, we arrived about 45 minutes too late for the first where they put on the armor. So we wandered the museum looking at the displays for a time while we waited for the fighting demonstration.

In the process, I get separated from the others. I check my cell phone; once again, no service. Ah, I figure they'll be at that fight demo when it starts and I'll find them there then.

I wander a bit looking at the displays on other floors. I'm thirsty so I study the big floor map display they have on each floor by the stairs and locate where it seems to indicate they sell food. It turned out it was just a few vending machines rather than a cafeteria like I expected from the map, but I still got a bottle of pop from the machine.

I checked the time and it was 15 minutes until that demo fight, so I wandered back upstairs to there. I get there and don't see H or her friends. So I wander into the restroom to take care of what one usually does in restrooms. While I'm facing a urinal taking care of business, my pocket starts vibrating. After a few moments of mental trouble shooting on what to do for a pocket that vibrates during urination, I pull out my cell phone and answer it.

H was calling looking for me. Well, I tell her where I'm at, and we meet up at the demo which was more crowded than I had expected. Although I did find the break down they did, explaining each move and counter move of the mock fight, interesting.

Btw, checking my cell phone again at the demo, it was once again saying no service. I'm starting to think that when I leave home and start going into a roaming area I can only receive calls rather than make any (ok, prob. not, but I've never had any trouble with my cell phone until this trip, and it was a bit frustrating).

After leaving the museum, we got some free drumstick ice cream. It seems they are coming out with a new style and were giving away free samples not too far away from that musuem.

We then went out to eat. I had a delicious meal and acceptable coffee. They gave me my own little coffee pot so I could pour my own refills when I wanted more.

H's friends dropped H and I off. She and I watched X-Men 3 and had a very nice night.

All in all, yesterday was one of the best days I had in a long time.

Today, H had to fly off to FL and I headed home. With H going, there was nothing there to make me want to stay. So while our parting was as unwelcome as always, the pain of my actually leaving was lessened somewhat by the fact H also was leaving.

Well, I was a little more than half way through my drive home when H calls my cell (which once again worked for her calling me). Her plane flight from Louisville to FL took less time than my driving from there to Chicago.

Ah, I think the plane was going a bit faster than ... um, the speed limit was 70 so let's just say that's what I was doing. Esp. if any of the many cops I passed on this holiday drive are reading. Yep, no faster than 70 mph at any time during my journey, officers.

At home, I unload all of Fawn's and my stuff (leaving my key in the ignition so as to ensure I have no trouble restarting it), set up Fawn's crate, and then head over to check Mom. Over there Mom suggested pizza for our supper. So I called to have one delivered.

While waiting for the pizza Mom and I look for her car key. Just as we located her key and I was putting the mess which our search created back, the pizza arrived. I was itching to try her key, but stopped to set up the pizza and at least semi-organize the pile of junk still pulled out before going to successfully use Mom's key in the ignition lock.

It may be silly, but after fighting that lock with my hit or miss key for as long as I have, I can't believe how tickled I am to have a key that will start the car on the first try now.

Well, that brings you more or less up to date with me.

Oh, there is one last thing. That new beer glass I mentioned at the start of this entry ... H gave me a belated birthday present of a set of beer glasses this morning before we ... (jeeze, I hate to type that we left each other). Anyway, one of those glasses got it's first use while typing this entry tonight.

Oh! If you aren't planning on selling the car any time soon (really even if you are), go make a copy of her key RIGHT NOW, before it gets any more worn. I used up both of my copies (damn cheap key metal!) and had to get a dealership to make me a copy. $2.00 > $10.00 any day.

I just read your haiku and the posts that followed it. I was surprised by all those who apologized for lynching you. I think you were in the more polite game. I don't recall anyone in lime apologizing for lynching an innocent. Just bemoaning the fact that the rogues got one more of us.

Maybe I'll be going soon too. I'm posting more now and getting more FOS's put on me for my efforts too. lol